


The Recruits

by MadgefromGelert



Series: Tales of the Vigil [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 07:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11249022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadgefromGelert/pseuds/MadgefromGelert
Summary: The Warden-Recruits get a chance to show of their skill and Lessa gets to let off some steam.





	The Recruits

“It’s your own damn fault!” Fleur sneered, no pity in her clear green eyes. The target of her venom gave her a look reminiscent of a reprimanded puppy. She unconcernedly twirled her daggers as the others chuckled.  
“But Fleur…” Ashen pleaded doing his best to tug on her heartstrings, but she was not sympathetic.  
“No one said you had to try to outdrink the dwarf,” she laughed, tilting her head so that her hair shifted revealing pointed ears. Ashen winced as the sound hit his sore head, which just made her laugh louder.  
“Is anyone else concerned about the alarming rate that Ammabelle’s going through training dummies?” Paget asked, nodding to the far corner of the practise area from where the small group was gathered. As one they all followed his gaze. Sure enough Ammabelle was there. She wielded a massive two-handed greatsword like it weighed no more than one of Fleur’s daggers. She was there when they had arrived and showed no signs of leaving.  
“I guess thats’s an indication that the meeting went poorly,” Guy commented.  
“Is it surprising after the way she questioned the Commander yesterday?” Arlo pointed out.  
“What do you think of her?” Fleur asked.  
“She’s terrifying. Absolutely stunning, but damn scary.” Ashen shot an admiring glance at the fierce warrior, then shivered as she decapitated a dummy in one blow. “Pretty sure I’ve said that before,” he turned back to his friends.  
“Not Ammabelle!” The Elven woman smacked him. “The Warden-Commander.”  
“Oh, she’s attractive too.” Ashen said, grinning, which earned him another blow. The other men all chuckled at his plight.  
“I like her,” Guy responded to Fleur’s question, once he’d finished laughing. “She seems like a fine leader, fair. I don’t understand why the Wardens mistrust her.”  
“Maybe we’ll find out once we’re Wardens,” Paget suggested.  
“Or maybe she’s just-“ Arlo cut off abruptly as the others suddenly stood up straighter. He spun around and followed their gaze.  
The Warden-Commander cut a striking figure as she strode across the field, her ever-present mabari at her side.  
“Hello Recruits,” she smiled once she reached them, the dog flopped down beside her. “Have you been told why I wanted you here?” They shook their heads. “I wish to assess your skills before you attend your Joining.” She saw the consternation that her words caused. One of them even went so far as to open his mouth to complain, before thinking better of it. “She continued, “I understand that you have been picked by other Wardens who believed that you were skilled enough, but I always make a point of seeing how well my Recruits fight. Understand that I will not make you leave. I may delay your Joining, but you will eventually take it.”  
“Commander? If I could ask why?” The tall, dark haired, dark eyed, young man questioned very respectfully. “Why do you test us?”  
“Of course, you can ask me anything.” She had a very lovely, kind smile. “I test you because being a Warden is dangerous, deadly. I need to make sure that you aren’t just throwing your lives away.” He nodded in understanding. “What’s your name?”  
“Ashen, Commander.” He responded.  
“And the rest of you?”  
“Fleur.” The small, blonde, elven woman.  
“Guy.” The stocky red-head  
“Arlo.” The smaller, black haired one.  
“And I’m Paget.” Finished the tall, slender, auburn haired man, who appeared older than the others.  
“Good to meet you all.” She regarded them, hesitated, then jerked her head down sharply, as if she had just made a decision. “I would like to ask you how you came to join the Wardens.” Noticing the worry on some of their faces, she hastened to reassure them. “You may tell me as much or as little as you choose, I just wish to know a bit about your reasons.” The Recruits eyed each other, debating, waiting for someone else to go first. Finally Paget stepped forward, head bowed.  
“I’m sorry, Commander.” He apologized. “But I would prefer not to.” Lessa nodded in acceptance, which prompted him to give a little more. “I was in a bad place and the Wardens helped me out. I’m grateful and honoured to be here.”  
“My family is noble here in Ferelden. I was the youngest. I didn't want to waste my life.” Ashen’s face was hard. “When I was betrothed I decided that I’d had enough. I fled to Orlais and joined a mercenary company. When I got the chance to become a Warden, I leapt at the opportunity.” He kept silent on the fact that it had as much to do with removing any claim his family had on him, as it did with him wanting to make a name for himself as a Warden. However he could tell she understood that anyway. He worried that she might ask who his family was, she probably knew them, but she seemed to be waiting for someone else to speak.  
“I was a soldier in the Empresses’ army. To thank the Wardens for stopping the Blight she decreed that they could select several men to join their order. I was selected.” Arlo was blunt, and the clenching of his fellows jaws showed that they knew that, unlike themselves, he was here against his will.  
Next was Guy’s turn. “I lived in my village, had a good life, until bandits attacked. Raid after raid. I taught myself to fight. One day a Warden named Blackwall visited. He helped us beat back the thieves. He said that I would make a good Warden, then vanished. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head. So I, left home, found the nearest Warden outpost. They agreed to give me a chance, then to put me through the Joining.”  
The Commander nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Fleur. The elven woman was chewing on her lip. She glanced at Ashen, who nodded reassuringly.  
“I killed a Nobleman!” She suddenly burst out. She stared defiantly at her Noble Commander. “He attacked me, and I killed him. I was arrested, but the Wardens, Tannen, prevented my execution.”  
Ashen stood near her, trying not to seem seem overly hostile, feeling very protective of the young woman who had become his best friend. All the Recruits stared at their Commander, waiting for her response.  
“Well it sounds like the Wardens made a good choice in you.” Lessa smiled at the elf, whose lips quirked in return. “In all of you.” The warrior added, looking around at the rest of them. They all stood a little straighter, not able to hide their pride. “To proper business now. Do any of you fight at range?”  
“I do, Commander.” Paget held up his bow.  
“Alright, you can wait until after them.” At his nod, she turned to the other four, drawing her sword and shield. A few nervous hands went to weapons, before relaxing when she didn’t attack. “The rest of you will fight me.”  
“I’m sorry?” Arlo questioned disbelievingly.  
“You mean one on one?” Fleur asked.  
“No. All of you against me.” Lessa grinned, and suddenly the Recruits could see the young woman she was, without all the weight of her responsibilities. “Don’t worry, Anders will cast a spell so we can’t do any real damage.” She gestured at the Mage, who they hadn’t noticed. He waved, rather over-enthusiastically with a ridiculous grin on his face, clearly mocking them for their inattention. Then he raised his staff. A glowing nimbus surrounded their weapons. Chuckling at the looks on their faces, Lessa raised her sword high and, before anyone could stop her, brought it down on her hand. When the recruits yelled in shock and panic she laughed, and held up her unharmed limb.  
“They’ll still leave bruises, but they won’t cut skin.” She walked a few feet away, turned back to them and raised her shield. “Come on, try to disarm me.” Her eyes glittered mischievously as she grinned.  
The four Recruits looked at each other. Ashen shrugged, drew his own sword and shield and charged. Fleur flashed a smile, before vanishing into the shadows. Guy joined in with his mace and shield and Arlo swung his great axe.  
Paget watched the display of swordplay with amazement. Lessa sidestepped Ashen’s attempt at a shield bash, then did her own to his back, shoving him off his feet. She turned in time to catch Arlo’s axe on her shield, then ducked so he stumbled into Guy’s path. While they untangled themselves, her eyes caught a movement that Paget’s didn’t. She spun around and raised her sword, blocking Fleur’s daggers as the elf suddenly appeared. She pushed and swiped, forcing Fleur to jump backwards, then shifted her shield to stop Ashen’s sword from hitting her own. When Guy and Arlo tried to join the fray, Lessa ducked and spun, causing the four to collide.  
Paget stared as the fight got increasingly more ferocious. Though the others managed to land some blows, there was nothing that came close to ending the fight in their favour. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ammabelle lessen her onslaught on the dummies and watch, but he didn’t have the focus to devote time to her.  
Finally a flurry of blows ended with Ashen on the ground, Fleur on top of him, Arlo gasping on his hands and knees, and Guy with the tip of Lessa’s sword at his throat. A round of applause echoed through the area as everyone who was present caught the breath that they’d been holding, as Anders, released his spell. The Commander smirked as she lowered her sword, and sheathed it. Then she noticed Ammabelle glaring. They locked eyes, and the Orlesian woman was the first to break, averting her gaze, picking up the greatsword she’d dropped, and heading back to the Keep proper.  
“Well done you all!” Lessa turned back to the four panting Recruits. “You were impressive.”  
“We were impressive?!” Fleur exclaimed.  
“Four to one and you beat us easily!” Ashen talked over the small woman.  
Lessa laughed again, then rolled her neck. “Not so easily. You made me work for it.” She nodded at Paget. “Your turn.”  
“What do you want me to do?” The archer asked, not quite managing to conceal his nervousness.  
“You need to shoot that target.” The Commander pointed to a dummy that was a good distance away, but not even close to an impossible shot. Paget looked at her with an eyebrow raised, doubting it would be that easy. Noticing it, she beckoned to Anders. The Mage walked over with an air of someone who was about to enjoy himself at someone else’s expense.  
“You need to shoot at the target, while dodging Anders’ attacks.  
Paget now raised both eyebrows. “Do I get any magical protection?” In answer the mage raised his staff. Paget felt a bit of a tingle.  
“Go.” The Commander said calmly, before he could ask what the other man had done. Immediately Anders sent a boulder, conjured out of thin air barrelling towards him. Paget rolled out of the way, coming up with his bow in firing position. He knocked, drew, and loosed an arrow in the space of a breath as it crashed where he had been, before leaping out of the way of the next attack. A blast of ice and snow. The dance continued for a while. Lessa watched approvingly. The man displayed the necessary traits for an archer. He was aware of the Mage’s attacks, managing to always stay just out of the way and his arrows invariably found the target.  
“All right!” She called a halt after a few more minutes. “That was very well done.” She congratulated him.  
“My wards didn’t even take any damage!” Anders put in as he removed the protection.  
“That was brilliant Paget!” Ashen clapped the archer on the back. He and the other Recruits had rejoined them and they all added their praise.  
“You will make fine Wardens!” Lessa declared. Her eyes sparkling with pride as she surveyed her newest troops. “You should all be very proud of yourselves. Spread the word, the Joining will be held tonight.” The watching Wardens and soldiers started cheering. Paget, Fleur, Guy and Ashen grinned, but Arlo only scowled as everyone gathered around the five of them, commending them on their prowess.  
They were interrupted by an inaudible shout from a sentry and the sounding of horns. Everyones hands jumped instinctively to their weapons, but they relaxed again as the sentry called again. This time they could make out his words.  
“It’s the King! The King is here!”  
“The King?” Ashen murmured to Fleur as quietly as he could over the raised voices exclaiming in surprise and delight. But the Commander heard.  
“I guess you’ll get to meet my husband.” She beamed, looking happier than they’d seen her. “He has the best timing. He loves the Joining celebration.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the wait. This one took me forever, hopefully my block is gone now. Coming up next. Who will survive the Joining?


End file.
